Krum hires Carroll as new superintendent

KRUM —
The Krum school district has a new superintendent after the school board voted
unanimously this week to officially hire Cody Carroll.

Since
January, Carroll has served as the district’s interim superintendent. In just
less than a year with the district, Carroll has moved up to its highest
administrative position. He joined the Krum district as its assistant
superintendent last July.

Carroll
succeeds Mike Davis, who retired in January after nearly five years in Krum.

“I’m very
excited about the opportunity that this presents,” Carroll said. “I definitely
want to protect the history that Krum has had and the things that so many
people here are proud of. It’s exciting to be able to be a part of pushing the
future as we take on new challenges and things that will be presented, so I
think it’s a great opportunity.”

Carroll said he intends to name an assistant superintendent by next
month.

The
school board extended Carroll’s contract through June 30, 2016. According to
the contract, Carroll will receive an a minimum annual salary of $135,000 the
first year and the board will “determine whether increases are warranted by
performance, longevity and general economic conditions.” The contract also
states Carroll will receive two weeks of vacation per school year.

Carroll,
45, was one of five applicants for the position, according to district
officials.

Board
President Phil Enis said several factors made Carroll “the person for the job.”

“We felt
that he shared our philosophy as well as the similar philosophy to Mr. Davis,
who we worked very well with,” Enis said. “He was highly recommended by Mr.
Davis, and we felt very comfortable with all those factors — there wasn’t
really any doubt.”

In
January, the board was contemplating the process it would take in selecting its
next superintendent, and at the time Enis said it was the board’s intent to
name a superintendent by May, but the process could stretch into June or July.
He said it’s nice to have the process completed ahead of schedule.

“Going
through the wide search and all the interviews, you may find someone who looks
good on paper, but you end up with them and not be happy,” he said. “With the
opportunity that we had to hire Mr. Carroll and already be familiar with him
and know what we were going to have to work with, it’s very nice to have that
done and not have it stretch into the summer.”

The
district’s fiscal year begins July 1, and there is a lot of work to do before
then, Enis said. Carroll can be involved in that process earlier, and that is
good for the district, he said.

Carroll
started his education career in 1992 as a junior high school football coach in
Slaton. Throughout his career, he’s served as a high school defensive
coordinator, head football coach and high school principal. Prior to coming to
Krum, he served five years as superintendent with the Meadow school district,
about 30 miles southwest of Lubbock.

Carroll
earned a bachelor’s degree in math with a minor in biology from Angelo State
University, a master’s degree in education from Lubbock Christian University,
and he completed his superintendent certification at Texas Tech University.

Since his
arrival in Krum, district officials said Carroll has been involved in
finalizing construction projects, participating in the organizational committee
for the Krum Education Foundation, reviewing curriculum and determining changes
that align with state standardized exams, overseeing human resources and
personnel and working with growth planning for the district’s future.

Carroll
said that what’s prepared him for the role as Krum superintendent is the time
he’s had in the community prior to becoming superintendent, which gave him time
to become involved in the community, get to know the staff, some students and
“see how things work” before he had to start making district decisions.

“The
experience of moving into the superintendent role is nothing new in the job
itself,” he said. “What’s new is getting involved in the community, getting to
know this board, and ... the time that I’ve been able to do that under Mr.
Davis’ tutelage has been very beneficial and made the transition a whole lot
smoother.”

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876
and via Twitter at @BritneyTabor.

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